The U.S. Government’s Frauds About Taiwan

Eric Zuesse

Current U.S. Government policy regarding Taiwan is directly violating prior commitments that the U.S. Government had made to the Chinese Government regarding Taiwan, which commitments will here be summarized by excerpts from the first of those previously made commitments:

https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1969-76v17/d203
https://archive.ph/lvJX8
203. “Joint Statement Following Discussions With Leaders of the People’s Republic of China”
Shanghai, February 27, 1972. …
the two sides stated that:
—progress toward the normalization of relations between China and the United States is in the interests of all countries;
—both wish to reduce the danger of international military conflict;
—neither should seek hegemony in the Asia–Pacific region and each is opposed to efforts by any other country or group of countries to establish such hegemony; and
—neither is prepared to negotiate on behalf of any third party or to enter into agreements or understandings with the other directed at other states.
Both sides are of the view that it would be against the interests of the peoples of the world for any major country to collude with another against other countries, or for major countries to divide up the world into spheres of interest.

‘Get Out!’ People In Taiwan Protest Pelosi’s Visit Amid China’s Missile Drill

Countercurrents | August 03, 2022

Tuesday’s protest in Taiwan. Photo: Fan Lingzhi/Global Times

Civic groups, politicians, and business and industry representatives on the island of Taiwan on Tuesday protested against U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit, amid China’s missile drill.

Protest

Media reports said:

The Taipei-based Chinese Patriotic Concentric Association took to the street at a site near the Grand Hyatt hotel in the Xinyi district, where Pelosi was planned to stay. The crowd ranged from a few hundred to about 1,000 people from various civic groups.

Gu Xijun, the vice president of the above group, told the Global Times that the protests and boycotts “will accompany Pelosi wherever she appears in Taiwan.”

Zhang Xiuye, another Taiwan resident who has participated in the rally, told the Global Times that U.S. politicians constantly create cross-Straits tensions and use Taiwan as their ATM.

Historian Eric Zuesse: How CNN lies about Taiwan

Cultivated ambiguity to cover a treacherous policy toward China

The Greanville Post | August 01, 2022

On the morning of 1 August 2022 when U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi — third-in-line for the U.S. Presidency after only Vice President Kamala Harris — was starting her trip through Asia in order to whip up a war between China and America over Taiwan and other issues, CNN headlined on its home page, “What does Taiwan think about the possibility of a visit by Nancy Pelosi?”, and that article opened:

On the morning of 1 August 2022 when U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi — third-in-line for the U.S. Presidency after only Vice President Kamala Harris — was starting her trip through Asia in order to whip up a war between China and America over Taiwan and other issues, CNN headlined on its home page, “What does Taiwan think about the possibility of a visit by Nancy Pelosi?”, and that article opened:

Reports that US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is planning a visit to Taiwan have sparked tense exchanges between the United States and China — and growing speculation over how Beijing might react.

While Pelosi — a forthright critic of Beijing — has so far declined to confirm the reports, she has said it is important for the US to show support for Taiwan, and lawmakers on both sides of Washington’s political divide have urged her to go. China, meanwhile, has lashed out at the idea, vowing to take “resolute and forceful measures” if any trip goes ahead.

Far less vocal, however, has been the island at the center of the controversy.

There has been no statement in favor of, or against, Pelosi’s potential trip from Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen or her office — though Premier Su Tseng-chang said on Wednesday that Taipei was “very grateful to Speaker Pelosi for her strong support and kindness towards Taiwan over the years” and that the island welcomes any friendly guests from overseas.

Analysts say the relative silence is because Taiwan, a democratic self-governed island of 24 million people that China’s ruling Communist Party claims as part of its territory, despite never having controlled it, finds itself in an awkward spot.

Taiwan, they point out, depends on US arms to defend itself against the possibility that China could invade and forcefully take it over — so it does not want to be seen as discouraging support from one of the US’ most powerful politicians.

China Warns U.S.: Those Who Play With Fire Will Perish By It

Countercurrents | July 29, 2022

Taiwan is a part of China and the 1.4 billion Chinese will not tolerate any challenges to the country’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity, President Xi Jinping told his U.S. counterpart, Joe Biden, in a phone call on Thursday. Xi’s warning comes amid reports that U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is preparing to visit the island next month, something China has warned her against.

Xi told his counterpart: Those who play with fire will perish by it. It is hoped that the U.S. will be clear-eyed about this.

Xi and Biden spoke via telephone for over two hours on Thursday at a juncture of increased tension between China and the U.S. due to the security situation around the Taiwan Straits and Pelosi’s reported plan to visit the island of Taiwan. Xi spoke with Biden on the phone at the request of the latter.

Xi “highlighted that the historical ins and outs of the Taiwan question are crystal clear, and so are the fact and status quo that both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one and the same China,” according to Beijing’s readout of Thursday’s call, also noting that Biden was the one who initiated it.

China Is Issuing The Same “Red Line” Warnings About Taiwan That Russia Issued About Ukraine

Caitlin Johnstone

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has continued to pour gasoline on the foreign policy dumpster fire that is her planned visit to Taiwan next month, now reportedly encouraging other members of congress to come along for the ride.

“Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has invited a small group of lawmakers on her official trip to Taiwan, including the top Democrat and Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee,” NBC News reports.

This trip, which Beijing perceives as an egregious transgression of Washington’s longstanding one-China policy, is already so incendiary that the Pentagon is now planning to send in fighter jets and other war machinery to protect Pelosi’s plane in case of attacks by the Chinese military.

China sees parallel between Ukraine, Taiwan

M. K. Bhadrakumar

Indian Punchline | March 20, 2022

On the evening of 18 March, President Xi Jinping (R) had a video call with US President Joe Biden at the request of the latter.

The Chinese stance on developments around Ukraine was initially one-dimensional, namely, there is no conceivable comparison between Ukraine and Taiwan issues, as they are fundamentally different, because Taiwan is a part of China, whereas Ukraine is an independent country. Factually, that was a correct stance. 

However, there has been a shift lately toward acknowledging that the Eurasian tensions hold an analogy for Indo-Pacific region. The Chinese commentaries underline that the relentless expansion of the NATO in the post-Cold War era is the root cause of events unfolding over Ukraine. In the video call with President Biden in the weekend, President Xi Jinping implicitly touched on this aspect: 

Biden’s Taiwan gaffe meant no harm

M K Bhadrakumar

Countercurrents | October 26, 2021

The probability is that the US President Joe Biden committed yet another diplomatic gaffe at a CNN town hall last Thursday that Washington had a commitment to come to Taiwan’s defence if it were attacked by China.

Yet, like Biden’s gaffes usually, this one too was not without an element of deliberateness. Biden was even insistent. Indeed, there is an ongoing debate in the US on this topic and Biden tapped into it.

Nonetheless, the very next day, the White House sought to walk back Biden’s comments, explaining he “wasn’t announcing a change in policy nor have we changed our policy. We are guided by the Taiwan Relations Act.” The Taiwan Relations Act of 1979 commits the US to providing Taiwan with arms for its self-defence but does not commit sending American troops to defend Taiwan. 

Tanks and Think Tanks: How Taiwanese Cash is Funding the Push to War with China

IMPERIALIST AGGRESSION AGAINST CHINA

Alan Macleod

MintPress News | April 22, 2021

TAIPEI — At MintPress, we have been at the forefront of exposing how Middle Eastern dictatorships and weapons contractors have been funneling money into think tanks and political action committees, keeping up a steady drumbeat for more war and conflict around the world. Yet one little-discussed nation that punches well above its weight in spending cash in Washington is Taiwan.

By studying Taiwan’s financial reports, MintPress has ascertained that the semi-autonomous island of 23 million people has, in recent years, given out millions of dollars to many of the largest and most influential think tanks in the United States. This has coincided with a strong upsurge in anti-China rhetoric in Washington, with report after report warning of China’s economic rise and demanding that the U.S. intervene more in China-Taiwan disputes.

China’s powerful diplomatic move: Historic handshake with Taiwan and friendship with Viet Nam

A Journal of People report

China has taken powerful diplomatic move in the region around the country. In a historic move, Xi Jinping and Ma Ying-jeou, presidents of China and Taiwan respectively have met in Singapore while the Chinese president has visited Viet Nam with an olive branch. China and Viet Nam have agreed to maintain peace in the South China Sea. The developments are important in the region charged with increased US military involvement, and as US defense secretary Ash Carter on Saturday said China is the single most influential player in Asia’s future.